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Scripture Reading: Heb. 11:24-26; Phil. 3:7-8, 12-14
Young people are precious. Having just begun their journey in life, they are full of youthful vigor and have a promising future. That is why everyone likes young people. Nevertheless, may the Lord have mercy on us that the young people can see what is truly a blessed human life.
Concerning a blessed human life, the emphasis is not just on being blessed; rather, the emphasis is on human life. Human life is our subject. What is human life? We all know that the phrase human life is composed of human and life. What is human? It is a mystery. As for life, its meaning is somewhat obscure. Does it refer to the intrinsic life or to the outward living? It seems to refer to both aspects and to also include both. Actually, this life is neither the intrinsic life nor the outward living; it lies between life and living and refers to human existence. Human life refers to the existence of man, and the existence of man is what man is. What we are is our real human life. In other words, our human life shows the secret of our being human.
A person experiences human life from the time he is born. During the first two to three years he knows only to eat, drink, and play; he does not understand anything else. As he grows up little by little, on the one hand, his taste for pleasure increases, but on the other hand, his gratification from pleasure decreases gradually. Today, especially in Taiwan, starting from kindergarten the human life seems to be a suffering life instead of a blessed life. The reason for this is that from the time of kindergarten, demands from teachers, expectations from parents, and the pressures of schoolwork all come one after another.
We who have children are well aware of this matter. After a child goes to kindergarten, teachers do everything they can to coax him to study diligently. After he passes through elementary school, he enters junior high, and in order to get a good education not only does the child suffer hardships in the school, but the parents also go to much trouble with the view that he would pass his examinations and enter into the best high school. The parents toil day and night and even provide him with the best tutor. Therefore, not only is the school strict in supervision, but the tutor also is not at all lax, and even the parents keep a close watch. At last he passes the test, but he is still not satisfied, for his scores may not be high enough to get him admitted to a first-rate school; rather, he may be admitted to a second-rate school. After entering into high school, he suffers even more because college is still ahead. After he enters college, there are still a few more years of suffering.
Just before graduating from college, or maybe even earlier, some may have heard the gospel, believed in Jesus, and received salvation, acquiring a priceless blessing. However, they may not understand why they believed. The reason they believed is that now they have a stronger will and a broader view, and as to human life and man’s existence, they have a deeper understanding. In other words, it is at this point in life that they begin to sense the need of a human being and the need of human life. Therefore, under the Lord’s sovereignty and arrangement, they heard the gospel and received the Lord.
I believed in Jesus when I was nineteen years old. At that time I was still studying in a junior college. To tell you the truth, I had had my fill of fun and pleasure. My mother was a third-generation Christian, so I was born and grew up in Christianity, and the school I attended was a Christian school. After I gradually became more mature, I constantly felt that I should make a stand for the Lord, since the Christian religion in China at that time was commonly referred to as a “foreign religion” in a derogatory way. Nevertheless, even at nineteen years of age, I had not yet received Christ. That was when my human life had come to the point where I was empty within and without. Even though I knew some principles of dealing with things and understood a little about human life, I was empty inside.
One afternoon a young lady from the Kiangsu-Chekiang area of the South came into our city to preach the gospel. I grew up listening to sermons given by old pastors and old preachers, so I was weary of listening to them. Now there was a preacher who was not only a young person but also a female, coming to our city to preach the gospel. Naturally I was driven by curiosity to go listen to her. That afternoon I went and heard her preaching. Immediately, there was a response within me, and my heart felt that this was what I wanted. At that moment I believed in the Lord. I remember that after the meeting that day, on my way back home, I stopped and looked up to the heavens and said, “O God, even if the entire world were given to me, I would not accept it. I want only You.” It was not a so-called supplication but an aspiration. That year I had just entered junior college.
Apparently, we just hear the gospel and believe in Jesus, but actually it is not that simple; it is very deep. It is deep in the sense that it concerns our very being. Our existence comes to a point, a critical moment, when our state of mind is prepared to receive something; so when the gospel comes, we receive Jesus. This shows that our human existence is certainly for a purpose. Everything in the universe is for our existence. If all the beasts, birds, and cattle were taken away, human life would lose its color. All the lovely animals are part of our human life, and they are for our existence. Therefore, we must consider what human life is exactly, what the meaning of human life is, and what the purpose of man’s existence is.
If we were to stand in front of a mirror and look at ourselves — at our eyes, nose, and ears — we would find them fascinating. It is truly the wonderful design of the Creator that we human beings are such. No wonder someone once praised in admiration, saying, “Throughout history and over the whole earth, there is not one great designer who can improve the human appearance.” Today the things in the world are wide in variety, diverse in style, and always being modified. Some are modified to improve their function; some are modified for fashion, to follow the tide of the age. Only we human beings cannot be improved either in appearance or in function. For example, if the eyebrows above our eyes were modified to line up vertically, they would be not only ugly but also impractical. In Taiwan it seems that nine out of ten people wear glasses. If the nose God created for man was wide on the top and narrow on the bottom, not only would it not hold a pair of glasses, but it would also be ugly. If our nostrils were pointed upward, then all the dust and rain would fall into them. These illustrate that the creation of man is truly a wonder.
To illustrate further, the hairs on our body all grow downward, and only the hairs in the trachea grow upward. In this way the phlegm in the throat can be kept from flowing downward. A brother who is a medical doctor told me that the earwax in our ears is very useful medically; it instantly kills intruding bacteria, preventing them from doing any harm to us. Based on these things, we can conclude that human beings did not come through evolution as Darwin said. They were created by the sovereign Lord of the universe. Before creation there had to be a design; we were created according to the design of the wisdom of God. God’s design is mysterious yet exquisite and cannot be further improved. We little human beings express God’s great design to the uttermost.
In this world there is not one designer who designs things without a purpose. In the same way, in the creation of man God also had an intention, a motive, and a purpose. According to this intention, motive, and purpose, He designed what He desired. This shows us that there is real meaning behind our human life and a reason for our existence. Since human beings were created according to God’s design, what they are and the reason for their existence lie in the God who created them.
There are countless volumes of books, whether philosophical, literary, scientific, or religious, that have something to say about human existence. However, these discussions are incomplete, just like the proverbial blind man who tried to discern an elephant by feeling only one part of it. But in this vast sea of books there is a book called the Bible. It begins with, “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth” (Gen. 1:1). It also says that God made man in His image and according to His likeness (v. 26). Even though these words are easily understood, their implications are deep and profound. In short, man was created for and according to God’s desire. God’s creation is the basis of human existence. In other words, human existence came out of God’s creation and also lies in God’s creation, and it is entirely for the purpose of God’s creation.
God did not create man without a basis; God made man in His image and according to His likeness. Although it is very difficult for us to describe God’s image and likeness, the Bible portrays who God is in various ways. One of the portraits of God is the law in the Old Testament. In the Old Testament the law is also called the testimony of God, that is, the “biography” of God. Apparently, the law is the Ten Commandments with many statutes plus many ordinances. However, after you read these commandments, statutes, and ordinances, you will come to a conclusion that the general principles of the law are love, light, holiness, and righteousness. Why do we say that the law is the testimony of God? It is because the law that a person establishes is determined by the kind of person he is. God’s law expresses the God who enacted this law.
In the New Testament God says that He is love (1 John 4:8). He also says, “You shall be holy because I am holy” (1 Pet. 1:16). The teachings of the New Testament convey the spirit of the law; this is also the description of what God is. Therefore, the image of the unique God whom we worship is love, light, holiness, and righteousness. Man was created according to this image of God. Therefore, throughout history and over the whole earth, regardless of race or color, every human being has love within him. Even when he grows old, this essence of love still remains.
Furthermore, we all have light within; we like to be bright. We also have holiness within and like to be blameless and transcendent. We have righteousness within as well; we approve of fairness and justice. Even though we are fallen, we still retain the qualities of love, light, holiness, and righteousness, because God created us with these qualities. They are not obtained through education; as long as we are human beings, we have them. Love, light, holiness, and righteousness are the real and original inner content of all human beings. When a man expresses this inner content, he expresses his true nature.
Why did God create man according to His image? God’s intention was that one day man might receive Him into him. When God created man, He created only a “framework”; man did not have God’s divine life within him to live out the reality of love, light, holiness, and righteousness. It is when man receives God into him, when he prays to the Lord Jesus, calling His name, that man feels he is satisfied and that he has reality. He is at ease inwardly, and he can sleep well and eat well. Furthermore, man now has the power to live out God’s substance of love, light, holiness, and righteousness.
Before we were saved, when we did not have the Lord, we were empty within. After we receive the Lord Jesus into us, we are filled inwardly. This is the meaning of human existence. Therefore, the existence of human beings is not for making money, obtaining a higher position, or having a golden future. The meaning of human existence lies in receiving our Creator, who is the real meaning of our life. This is human life. This God who is inside of us is our real blessing and our real joy. As a result, we become a blessed human being, and our existence becomes a blessed human life.
Today many have made a fortune in business, and many more have earned a college degree. Furthermore, more than a few have obtained a high position, success, and fame. However, the more successful a person is, the less of God he may have, and the emptier he will feel within. Young people have just begun the first stage of human life; they do not sense much emptiness. One day, when they have earned a degree, obtained a position, and gained material riches, psychological pleasure, fame, and success, they will feel that all is empty, as the Bible says, “Vanity of vanities” (Eccl. 1:2), and “There is nothing new under the sun” (v. 9). These words were spoken by King Solomon, who had a high position and great wisdom. Today as young people you might not have high positions, but you at least may have graduated from college. This is the time that you feel the need for something. Please remember, what you need the most is not honor and wealth but to gain the Lord Himself. Only by letting Him in can you be a blessed person who lives a blessed human life.
Now we can understand Hebrews 11:24-26. After Moses was born, his mother tried to send him away to prevent him from being killed by the Egyptians. Later, having been adopted by the daughter of Pharaoh, he grew up and received his education in the Egyptian royal palace. However, when he had grown up, gradually he came to understand the actual situation, and he no longer wanted to stay in the Egyptian royal palace as the adopted son of the princess. He would rather give up the enjoyment of Egypt and choose God; he considered the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures of Egypt. Although in the Old Testament it was not yet the time of Christ, in the eyes of God what Moses did was for Christ. Moses chose Christ and followed Christ.
In the New Testament we see that the apostle Paul received a Jewish education and, even though he was a Jew, was trained in Greek learning in Tarsus, exhausting all that he could receive of Greek knowledge; yet like Moses, he forsook everything and chose Christ. Because of Christ he counted everything as refuse. To him, Christ was not only an object of his belief, but Christ was his life, his living, and even the motive, the motivation, and the purpose of his living. Therefore, Christ became his human life, and Christ was his existence. That was why he could say, “For to me, to live is Christ” (Phil. 1:21a).
Each one of us has our own tastes. If someone says, “For to me, to live is an academic degree,” “For to me, to live is wealth,” “For to me, to live is success and fame,” or “For to me, to live is a happy family,” he will not be happy; the more he says these things, the more he loses his taste for them. However, the more we say, “For to me, to live is Christ,” the more we have the taste. The more we say it, the more we feel blessed and joyful.
From our experience we can truly testify that a blessed human life is a human life with Christ. When we have Christ, we are blessed; when we have Christ, we are joyful. From April of 1925 when I was saved until today, for sixty-two years I have never regretted my believing in Jesus. Although sometimes I do feel that believing in Jesus is quite troublesome, since the Lord says no to many things that I feel are all right for me to do, I have never regretted that I believe in Him.
When I was walking home after I was saved, I looked up to the heavens and said, “O God, even if You give me the whole universe, the whole world, I do not want them. I only want You.” I made up my mind that even if I had to live on tree roots and drink from mountain brooks, I would preach Jesus for my entire life. In my eyes that was the most joyful thing in the world. However, this vow brought me many troubles. Right after I graduated from school, the Lord came to bother me. He wanted me to serve Him full time. At that time we did not have the expression full-time serving one. There was only the term preacher, which referred to a person who carried a Bible bag and went through every village in the countryside to visit people and talk about Jesus.
I told the Lord that even though I had graduated, my younger brother still had two years before graduation. I needed to work for two years, and when my younger brother graduated, I could then serve Him full time. The Lord permitted me to do this, so I had some peace within. Later, my younger brother graduated. At that time the Chinese customs agency was hiring employees, and my brother, because of his proficiency in English, took the test and earned first place to work in customs. His salary was even more than that of a county magistrate. Time passed by, day after day, and one day the Lord Jesus came to me again.
In 1932, seven years after I was saved, a church was raised up in Chefoo where I was. From that time, I started to minister the word in Chefoo. In those seven years I never stopped pursuing the Lord and reading His Word. Additionally, I met some from the Brethren assembly. The Brethren were the best at expounding the Bible. I attended their meetings and was greatly helped by them. You can say that because in the seven years after I was saved I was working and studying the Bible simultaneously, when the church was raised up, I could immediately minister the word. It got to the point where I gave at least five messages per week. The more I spoke, the more people came. In the spring of the following year, the number of people who were meeting was close to one hundred, and the need became greater and greater. That was when the Lord Jesus came to me again, and He did not let me go this time. He said, “I have prepared everything for you. The church is here, and the work is here.” I had no excuse.
In August of 1933 I struggled for nearly three weeks, but inwardly I still was not able to give up my job. I was unsettled within. At that time I reasoned with the Lord again, saying, “O Lord, the saints in the church all have financial difficulties. Most of them can make only about twenty dollars a month. There are about a hundred brothers and sisters. My younger brother makes the most money, and I make the second most. My brother and I provide for many of the supplies used in the meetings, and I also provide for the saints in need. O Lord, if I work, I can help others, but if I do not work, I will need others to support me.”
After three weeks of struggling, I asked some responsible brothers and sisters to come together, and I told them about my situation. That was at a Wednesday night prayer meeting. They all agreed that I should continue to work. It seemed good to them, so I stopped worrying about it. I asked them to pray for me, and they really did pray for me after they returned to their homes. When I went back home at night, I could not fall asleep. I came to the Lord a little after ten o’clock and prayed until about eleven. I clearly felt that the Lord was speaking to me, “This is good enough. We have discussed this matter up to this point. If you still do not believe, then you have rejected Me, the living God, with an evil heart of unbelief.” I neither saw the Lord’s appearance nor heard His voice, but I actually felt that the Lord was saying to me, “Good enough. This is it! If you will follow Me, then follow. If you will not follow Me, then do not follow. It is you who rejects Me, the living God.” I was kneeling down by my bed, so I stood up and told the Lord, “O Lord, I accept; let it be so. Tomorrow I will go to resign from my work. I will quit.” At that time, on the one hand, I was joyful, but on the other hand, I was still quite despondent.
My parents-in-law came to talk with me; they had always respected me. They said, “You have a job that millions of people could not wait to get their hands on, yet you want to quit. How can you do that? Besides, you can work during the day, and in the evening you can still minister the word and serve the church. Would this not be profitable on both ends?” What they said seemed quite logical, but I was very clear within that it was the Lord who wanted me to drop my job, and if I did not follow the Lord in this way, I was finished. Therefore, even though to believe in Jesus is a blessing, sometimes it does not cater to one’s desires. In the end I surrendered; the Lord Jesus won. I resigned from my job the next day.
That morning, before I went to work, I stopped by the post office because they had notified me of a letter that was addressed to me. That letter was sent from the Presbyterian Church in Changchun, a city in Kirin Province, inviting me to go there to hold a conference for a period of time. I determined again to resign from my job in order to go and preach Jesus. When I arrived at my company, as I had expected, they would not let me resign. I told them that I would go to Manchuria and hold gospel meetings for three weeks and that when I came back, we would discuss this matter. I went to Manchuria, and the first church there was raised up; twenty or more people, including the elders, preachers, and deacons, were baptized in the river. While I was rejoicing, my company sent a letter to me, saying that they had decided against my leaving and that, at the end of the year, they would not only raise my salary but also promote me to a better position. Now the temptation came again, for there were only two or three months left before the end of the year when I would receive a bonus. Again, I was troubled within. I thought that maybe I could quit at the end of the year. I made up my mind, thinking that the Lord Jesus should be willing to allow me to stay for two or three months.
After I returned home, my brother told me that there was a letter for me. Not waiting to get back to my room, I right away opened the letter in the front courtyard and read it; the letter was from Watchman Nee. Actually, it was not a letter but only a few short sentences: “Brother Witness, regarding your future, I feel that you should serve the Lord full time. How do you feel? May the Lord lead you.” I was happy yet sad at the same time. I was happy because he wrote the letter during my three weeks of struggling, so I could not deny that it was the Lord’s doing, especially since we had not communicated by mail for eight or nine months. He was outside the country at the time, yet he sent this letter right when I was struggling. How could I not be happy? I was sad because if I were to leave my job, the bonus for those months would go to waste. However, Brother Nee’s letter became an encouragement to me, so I left my job. After I resigned, the first thing I did was to go to Shanghai to fellowship with Brother Nee. Brother Nee told me that he had been on a ship going from England back to China, and when the ship was going through the Mediterranean Sea, the wind was still and the sea was calm. There he prayed for the Lord’s work throughout China. The Lord gave him a feeling that he should write to me, so he wrote that letter.
Therefore, believing in Jesus is a blessing and a joy, but there are also times of struggling. What should we do? For over sixty years I have learned the secret of surrendering to Him. The Lord Jesus does not yield; He wants what He wants. If we give it to Him, then we give it to Him; if we do not give it to Him, He will let us do as we will. However, if we give it to Him, we will be blessed; if we do not, sorrow, pain, and remorse will soon follow. Thus, a blessed life is a Christ-life, and a Christ-life is just Christ. Christ will be magnified in our body, whether through life or through death; for to us, to live is Christ (Phil. 1:20-21a). This is a blessed human life, a life of surrender and submission.
(A message given at a young people’s conference in Taipei, Taiwan, on May 10, 1987)
